


Inseparable

by ghee (sabakunoghee)



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fluff, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, I Swear Everybody Is Happy, Legalized Same-Sex Marriage, Long-Term Relationship(s), Love Wins, M/M, No Angst, Romance, Same-Sex Marriage, Teacher-Student Relationship, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-15
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-11-18 12:12:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18120593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabakunoghee/pseuds/ghee
Summary: I couldn’t wait to be yours.T rated | Canon/Slightly OOC | Romance, Fluff.A multi-chapter story about Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, and marriage preparation.





	1. Sarutobi Mirai

**Author's Note:**

> Set after Konoha Shinden: Steam Ninja Scrolls and inspired by Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding.

“Now, now – thank you for your service, Mirai-chan!”

 

Sarutobi Mirai failed to step backward, and now, she was caught in Maito Gai’s monstrous hug. The young _chuunin_ grinned helplessly and asked for a rescue from the other adult who stood beside her. Apparently, her silent plea was responded by a light chuckle from the man with greyish, spiky hair.

 

“Yes… Yes, sure, Gai-san, it’s been a – _cough –_ pleasure, to escort both of you…” she desperately looked for some fresh air. Remind her that the _taijutsu_ expert’s raw power was not a joke, “You are _very_ welcome…” Mirai glared at Gai’s company who did nothing but crossing his arms in front of his chest.

 

“Should we drop you at the Hokage’s office?” asked the calmer one, his tone was soft and relaxed.

 

Mirai struggled to shake her head, “No need, Rokudaime-sama, I’ll be fine…” she repeatedly patted Gai’s shoulder which was totally misinterpreted. He thought Mirai was being as moved as he was.

 

“Oh, Mirai-chan! You really treasure our time together, _ne_?” burst in tears, Gai tightened his embrace, completely drown Mirai’s slim figure, “I’m so glad you finally acknowledge the true power of youth!”

 

“ _Maa, maa_ , Gai, stop it, you’re suffocating her,” said the man who was called ‘Rokudaime-sama’ (he stared lazily at the red-eyed _kunoichi_ , silently asked her to stop addressing him in such a way,) “Take a good care of yourself, will you,” Hatake Kakashi smiled eye-to-eye while gently brushing Mirai’s dark, short wavy hair, “Tell your mother we said hi, we’re so happy that our comrade’s little daughter has grown up to be a formidable fighter as you are,” he added sincerely. As a teenager, indeed she had a short fuse and could be quite aloof, but she was a dependable guardian and did a splendid job in ‘escorting’ them to the Land of Hot Water, “And you don’t have to accompany us home, by the way.”

 

At the compliment, Mirai a bit flushed then nodded slightly, “Thank you, Ro – I mean, Kakashi-san...” she inhaled a large amount of oxygen right after Gai released her, “Also, Gai-san,” _I thought you were going to crush my bones_ , “But – Nanadaime-sama told me to send you home and make sure that—”

 

“You’ve done enough these past three weeks,” Kakashi interjected, then chuckled in a friendly manner while tenderly pushed Gai’s shoulder so he finally sat down on his wheelchair, “I’ll be taking care of this grandpa from here.” In other words, _stop forcing yourself to stand just to give her more hugs_.

 

“Rival, who are you calling ‘grandpa’? I’m a healthy and athletic man! I’ll challenge you to climb the big face of yours right there using only one hand!” His yelling was full of determination. He raised a fist while his other hand pointed at the Hokage monument. Mirai made a comical, horror expression and shook her head in terror. She whispered to Kakashi, _please, I beg you, calm your rival, Kakashi-san_.

 

Kakashi groaned but kept on lightly massaging Gai’s arms, “Right, right, we can do it some other time, Gai, we need to rest, now,” his smile was covered by his trademark, thick mask, but Mirai could see a glimpse of happiness on his eyes which formed two crescents, “Now, Mirai, we’ll see you around.”

 

“It’s been an honor, Kakashi-san, Gai-san.” Mirai bowed politely while waving goodbye.

 

“Don’t forget to read my book, Mirai-chan, and you shall embrace the youthful spirit within your soul!”

 

The young Sarutobi didn’t have any chance to reply those loud sentence since Kakashi had pushed Gai’s wheelchair to the opposite direction. She still could hear his thundering laughter and was honestly amazed at Kakashi’s borderless patience – he could deal with such endless energy without any sign of exhaustion. Mirai watched how happy they were from afar and smiled in satisfaction.

 

After a while, she turned around and moved briskly to the administrative complex of the village. Her legs jumped swiftly from roof to roof, spent less than a minute reaching the entrance of her destination; finding the leader himself, Uzumaki Naruto and his advisor, Nara Shikamaru, were standing in front of the office. They chattered with some people in gaudy clothes – she recognized them as the _daimyou_ ’s representatives. It wasn’t her business, so she decided to greet Shikamaru with a silent ‘good-afternoon’ and a slight bow whilst Naruto kept on talking with his important guests.

 

“Oi, Mirai,” but, Shikamaru’s passive voice held her steps. The man with a goatee approached her and muttered in a low tone, “Naruto is waiting for you upstairs.” He nodded and gave a hand gesture.

 

Mirai squinted in confusion, “But he’s – _oh_.” She understood. A quick glance at a group of five before returning her attention to the head of the Nara clan, “You can’t let him doing this over and over.”

 

“Yeah, it’s troublesome, but then again, this discussion is absolute garbage, so, no harm done,” he shrugged, indicating that chitchatting with the riches indeed was a waste of time, “Go meet him.”

 

“Sure, thank you, Shikamaru-san.”

 

They exchanged nods before continuing their own business. Mirai accelerated her pace, ran all the way to Naruto’s private room, greeted her fellow _shinobi_ along the way and stopped precisely in front of her destination. She knocked twice and entered the messy working space after a loud ‘OU!’ was heard from the other side of the door. _There he was_ , she thought while closing the door behind her back and walked slowly toward the protector of the Hidden Leaf, who greeted her with a bright grin.

 

“Do you need something from me, Nanadaime-sama?” She asked directly.

 

“Mirai-chan,” that familiar particle created an informal atmosphere. Mirai immediately realized that she wasn’t here as a _chuunin_ , but as a friend, “Here, come, come, have a seat.” Naruto welcomed her.

 

_He’s extraordinarily excited today, huh?_ Mirai observed him in silence; her lips spoke no words but she playfully prepared her _chakra_ blades on both hands, “Aren’t you supposed to meet the _daimyou_ ’s commissioners downstairs?”

 

“Ah, that’s my _bunshin_.” He answered while stretching his spine.

 

“And I have to believe that you’re not a clone?” She ascended her weapons in dangerous movement.

 

“No, _NOOO,_ it’s me, the real me! Put your knives down! _Maa,_ you could be very scary – _ttebayo_!” Naruto raised his voice while lifting his both hands, as if he was a culprit who was caught red-handed, “How’s your previous mission? Things went well?” He asked while dismissing his current activities.

 

Mirai slightly pouted, “It was the most boring twenty days of my entire life.” She withdrew her fighting stance and made herself comfortable on a cushioned chair right in front of Naruto’s working desk.

 

Her response made Naruto laugh heartily, “Well, you need to relax, I thought, sending you to escort my beloved teacher would do you good. You learned a lot of new things from your journey, right?”

 

“…by _journey_ you mean _vacation_ , Nanadaime-sama,” Mirai sighed. Almost scoffed – but she smiled either way, “I did learn a lot about how biological age doesn’t equal to ‘being mature’. Both of your mentors are just two silly, laid-back, carefree little boys who are trapped in the body of grown-ups.”

 

“Hey, it’s good to stay young, you know!” Naruto blasted loud laughter. He was silent for a second and changed his facial appearance into a serious one, “Thing is, I want to ask you a few things concerning Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei. I need your humble and totally honest opinion about it,” the blonde fixed his sitting position and took a slight pause before resuming the talk, “So, you have spent almost a month with those two. From your point of view, what can you conclude from their relationship?”

 

_That_ , was a strange question. Mirai frowned for a while, “They are… eternal rivals?” she was clearly overexposed by Gai’s claim – he bragged hot-bloodedly about their intense rivalry every time he got the chance, “But, Kakashi-san didn’t look like he really cared. I mean, he treated Gai-san as a friend.”

 

“Huh,” Naruto nodded, “That’s the best you could state?”

 

“Uh – they’re actually close.”

 

“How close?”

 

“ _Inseparable_.”

 

Naruto chuckled.

 

Mirai stared at the ceiling, reminiscing how deep their connection was, “To be honest, it almost felt like accompanying an old married couple.” She added straightforwardly, arms crossed in assurance.

 

“ _That_ ,” the blue-eyed war hero grabbed a ballpoint and pointed it at Mirai’s face, “Might be the best term to describe them,” Naruto shook his head in delight, but a second after, his expression turned cloudy, “Unless, they’re not legally married… _yet_.” There was an unusual accentuation in his words.

 

Of course, the younger one seemed confused where this was going, “Excuse me?”

 

“Say, Mirai-chan,” the _jinchuuriki_ ’s prosthetic fingers tapped the surface of his wooden working desk, “Are you annoyed by the idea of two guys unity their special relationship in a bond of marriage?”

 

“…”

 

_…what?_

 

Mirai blinked repeatedly. Her face went deadpan. Watching his subordinate ultimately puzzled, the Seventh grinned playfully – but in an indescribable way, Mirai found a serious vibe in his question.

 

“Uh – it doesn’t bother me, I guess? Someone else’s marriage has nothing to do with me and it’s not like marriage is _my_ thing, so…” she gave herself a breathing space. Mirai remembered how pure, healthy and supportive their relationship was, how well they knew each other, “They respect and obviously – _Nanadaime-sama, I can’t believe you make me say this_ – are in love with each other. Their connection is so sincere and genuine, I would say that they had been together for a very long time.”

 

“Since my _chuunin_ exam, I should add.” Naruto said further.

 

“Oh.” clueless, Mirai nodded.

 

“You know how _hard_ being a Hokage, _ne_ , Mirai-chan?” asked Naruto rhetorically. He spread his hands, as if he was embracing his endless responsibilities, a fine statement to describe his own life lately. As the Seventh’s expert personal bodyguard, Mirai acknowledged it way too well. If there was a single person who dared to question Hokage’s insanely busy schedule, she would gladly shove a _kunai_ down their throat. Naruto shrugged casually, “You can consider me lucky for ruling Konoha in a peaceful era and completely backed up by advanced technology. Now, could you imagine this – sitting in this hot seat, dealing with massive casualties, had to unity the entire broken village, right after the chaos of world war.”

 

Mirai never really thought about that.

 

“Kakashi-sensei never slept well during his first year of service, and I could tell his…” Naruto lowered his voice as if he was telling a secret, “… _relationship_ , with Gai-sensei,” he exhaled deeply, “Started to crumble. That was once the most difficult time for them, I mean, Gai-sensei had to fight against the loss of his leg, not to mention his _shinobi_ career, meanwhile Kakashi-sensei was busy _Kage-_ ing around,” his gaze wandered around momentarily, a painful smile was engraved on his lips, “Fortunately, Gai-sensei’s infinite positivity saved them. You know, all of us still addressed him as an honored _shinobi_ , a comrade.”

 

Once again, Mirai ‘oh’-ed. She didn’t really know how to deal with this amount of information. _Do I look like a marriage consultant or something?_ However, she remained quiet, listening attentively.

 

“That’s why, when I finally feel confident with my capability in governing this village, I let them do whatever they wish – it turned out a holiday for two, which I personally think they deserve better,” a light giggle slipped off, “But I don’t want to stop there, I want a great leap – a _marriage_ , for instance.”

 

“So, _you_ , as a Hokage,” Mirai cautiously asked, word by word – _this_ Uzumaki had a tendency to make a spontaneous decision and she couldn’t let him signed a regulation without further consideration, “– want to _legalize_ same-sex partnership to provide your teachers a safe haven regarding their sexuality.”

 

“And, to be treated _equally_ ,” Naruto nodded faithfully at his punch line. He almost smashed the table for the sake of dramatic effect, “Also, _no_ , I won’t do this just because Kakashi-sensei is _my_ teacher. I want everybody in this village feel content with their lives and say, sexual preferences,” an index finger was hoisted, “As long as it’s logically acceptable because I would never allow the underage to marry.”

 

“That’s wise,” said Mirai truthfully, “But you have to consider how the conservatives would react to it. You might find it challenging to change people’s opinion even though for a greater good,” her eyes were twinkling in approval and fear, “It’s impossible to satisfy everybody and make them accept the diversity you offer, but I should say, this is a good start,” her lips twitched and her tone went unsure, “…still, I’m sort of skeptical of what would the elders think about it. Not to mention the _daimyou_.”

 

“Leave it to me – I’ll slay the negotiation,” Naruto convinced her with his bold tone, “Thank you for your standpoint, Mirai-chan, I highly appreciate it.” He ended the conversation with a relieved face.

 

Mirai smiled earnestly, “Whatever it takes for the sake of my favorite old geezers.”

 

“Seems you love them very much, huh? Should I assign you as their personal bodyguard?”

 

The descendant of the Sarutobi clan answered without hesitation.

 

“Please _don’t_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in·sep·a·ra·ble | \ (ˌ)in-ˈse-p(ə-)rə-bəl  
> : seemingly always together: very intimate, incapable of being separated or disjointed
> 
> P.S. This story is all about the deep talks, the mental preparation, and separation prior to the actual wedding. So even though the main pairing is GaiKaka, the story itself will lead you to the interaction between Kakashi **or** Gai with their closest person. They will eventually meet on the altar, don't worry, but since this one focuses on their personal thought and struggle to overcome the pre-wedding anxiety, please... bear with the plot. Thank you!
> 
> P.S.S. I just want them to marry. Period.


	2. Uzumaki Naruto

“Oh!” _a slap,_ “If it’s not Kakashi-sensei!”

 

The silver-haired grunted behind the mask, “… I’ve told you the best use of your leisure time is taking a look at the mission roster.” His laid-back, mellow tone was heard in unison with the faint sound of rustling paper. Hatake Kakashi didn’t bother to close the pervert literature in his hand – _Jiraiya had been long gone, but his masterpiece will never die_ – his both dark, mysterious eyes were still glued on those vulgar sentences. Come to think about it: his younger-self trained three innocent hellions while reading that erotic novel. Current Uzumaki Naruto couldn’t help but shivered at the disturbing fact.

 

“Shikamaru did that for me. What do you think the use of having a genius around?” the _ramen_ -maniac laughed boisterously while tightly hugging his second-favorite teacher. (His first was always Umino Iruka meanwhile the _ero-sennin_ placed the third position.) “Come, have some lunch with me, Sensei!”

 

“I decline.” _this brat – doesn’t he understand that I’m trying to read the climax here?_

 

“Okay, then,” hearing the rejection, Naruto dragged Kakashi all the way to Ichiraku, “I’ll make this a Hokage’s order and you’ll be punished for refusing my invitation.” He said jokingly as briskly walked.

 

Kakashi sighed an exaggerated long breathe, “ _Yare-yare_ … Can’t I have a peaceful time for myself,” he muttered powerlessly, “I was a Hokage too, you know.” the forbidden book went into his pocket.

 

“Please don’t tell me that you’re suffering for post-authority-syndrome,” Naruto smirked fancifully and made his entrance grand with a loud shout, “Oi! Oyaji! Two big bowls of miso chashu pork ramen!”

 

Teuchi was old, but his spirit was still flaming, “Ou! Hokage-sama, former-Hokage-sama! Welcome to our shop and, right away!” he gladly received the order and told her daughter to prepare Naruto’s special dish, “Please enjoy our free-flow cold _ocha_ right there, we just installed a new machine!”

 

“We’ll make ourselves at home!” replied the blond eagerly.

 

He greeted several citizens who were coincidentally spending their time at the remodeled restaurant before asking his teacher to sit near the pantry. It was a cornered seat which consisted of two face-to-face wooden chairs and a square table in the middle. Kakashi lazily sank himself while Naruto filled two cups with unsweetened green tea and approached the older man in a hurry. He picked this area for a reason – Kakashi could take off his mask freely and enjoy the meal without drawing attention.

 

(…well, even his face-statue on the Hokage Monument left nothing but a mystery.)

 

“Alright, I know you won’t randomly drag me here for nothing,” Kakashi accused, “What’s wrong?”

 

“ _Maa,_ so direct,” Naruto made a long face; sometimes, his mentor could be such a handful, “I need your opinion, as the former Kage, my teacher, and a normal, ordinary person, Kakashi-sensei.”

 

His greyish eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, “You’re going to break some laws, _ne_?”

 

“What the – of course not- _ttebayo_!” the exuberant nature of his made Kakashi felt like he was attacked by _Shinra Tensei_. Naruto almost slammed the table but his palm stopped midway, credit to Ayame and two bowls of extra-thick soup ramen, “You’re the best, Ayame-san! Thank you!” the Seventh lifted his thumbs. Ramen was always the answer – even the demon inside him turned to be docile too.

 

“Our pleasure, Hokage-sama, former-Hokage-sama!” she bowed politely after serving the cuisine, left those two war heroes and ignoring Kakashi’s request to not address him in such embarrassing way.

 

Naruto was distracted by the delicious aroma and decided to sip the broth,

 

Kakashi grumbled nonverbally. He should’ve finished the fifth chapter if only he ignored ‘the Kage’s order’ – in the end, it was just his pupil being selfish. But he questioned himself nonetheless since he could never be angry with this simple-minded rascal. Naruto reminded him too much to his comrade, Uchiha Obito, who shared the same dream to be the Hokage. _And Iruka-sensei spoiled him too much._

 

“So,” _I give up_. Kakashi was so getting used to this kind of habit; his long-term partner, Maito Gai, was a stubborn old man too, and he was left with zero choices but surrendering to their energetic, endless energy. Kakashi pulled down his mask and began to taste the familiar delicacy before resuming his words, “Difficulties in running the village?” _The noodle is chewy as usual, and the broth is good, too._

 

With his mouth filled with ramen, Naruto nodded. He struggled to swallow, patted his chest several times, before finally spoke in a serious manner, “I have this issue to be discussed with the elders and _daimyou_ – but well, regardless of their opinion, I will declare it as a legal statement, either way,” he searched his pocket and reached a piece of wrapper, then gave it to Kakashi with a concealed smile, “But I could use your support so I could deliver this message to the entire village handsomely.”

 

“You’re finally using the brain of yours for real, hm?” Kakashi joked while opening the white envelope and revealed an unfolded short letter inside. It was clearly a rough draft, penned in messy handwriting, with strikethroughs here and there. He gasped when he finally reached the last period mark and his eyes widened in a demanding stare, “You, Naruto – are you out of your mind? This is… _Insane._ ”

 

“That’s exactly why I discuss it with you first,” those whiskers on his both cheeks visibly seen as he grinned wider, “And, no – I’m _not_ joking. Look at my eyes and you’ll know I’m super serious. I’ll be the first Kage to acknowledge the equality of _any_ marriages regardless of their gender identity,” Naruto spoke in his unusually deep voice, obviously tried to sound serious, “This world, _our_ world, is rapidly changing, Kakashi-sensei. We used to think it was impossible to reach the Hidden Sand in a day, now, take a look at our Thunder Rail. We deployed eagles for sending letters and now we have a wireless network across the country,” his blue eyes flickered in anticipation and enthusiasm, “This is the right time to open up our old-fashioned mind, to accept new ideas; in this case: to embrace the diversity.”

 

Kakashi agreed that globalization and development of technology in _shinobi_ new-era is inevitable and they _had_ to adjust himself into the changes, but, “… I don’t think same-sex marriage had things to do with these modernization-whole-things,” he hummed weakly. It wasn’t like he didn’t support Naruto’s remarkable belief, “Besides, how your proposal could improve the life of this, _uh_ , married couple?”

 

“You could own property together and it would be protected by law – you know how dangerous life of _shinobi_ , just say, one of you die first, your spouse could inherit your property without any need to bring the case to the court. You will gain the same treatment when you decide to adopt a child and it would be legal to register both of the fathers – _or mothers_ – as their legitimate parents,” the Seventh explained it in monotonous and boring tone as if he was reading a textbook, “What I offer you and the rest of the country is,” he lifted his bowl and sipped the rest of the broth, burped awfully and patted his stomach, “ _More_ than just accepting the eternal bond of love and companionship, but also lawful protection towards your assets just like conservative marriage.” He delivered the punch line proudly.

 

“Wow,” the former Hokage nodded with a hollow expression. Naruto’s explanation made him feel as if he was the dumbest creature on earth. Kakashi really should stop underestimating his student’s brain capacity – Shikamaru (and Kurama, he assumed?) did an extremely great job in expanding Naruto’s way of thinking, “You amuse me, how many books did you read before deciding to talk to me?”

 

“I made my shadow clones did it, told you that my favorite technique is a useful _jutsu_.”

 

“You bet,” Kakashi snorted a small laugh and re-examined Naruto’s concept once again. There was a good intention in it, but he doubted the society would approve this delicate, provocative issue. Those dark eyes returned to Naruto as he placed the paper on the table, “Two questions,” he repositioned himself into a more intimidating sitting posture, “First – we live in a hidden village who treasured old, ancient custom when it came to marriage, which is, heterosexuality is the one and only acceptable preference and _you_ tried to change that,” his tone was demanding, “It would be a _huge_ revolution.”

 

“I try to _expand_ the probability,” Naruto corrected, “Love is not a thing we can fully control. Adoration and affection are tolerable for any gender; man to woman, woman to woman, man to man, or – _any_ in between, what’s the difference? We are all _human,_ after all, why would you judge someone else’s choice in finding their soul mates?” he exclaimed in fairy, flaming spirit, his fists coiled in the air.

 

 _There he goes again,_ Kakashi already regretted his question. How could he forget that _this_ pupil of his was the best public speaker and a massive influencer with his genuinely naive ideas?

 

“As long as it’s a consensual relationship formed by two people in legal age, I believe the village has a responsibility to protect the bond and register it legally,” Naruto brushed his chin, his forehead wrinkled, “It’s not all about administrative stuff, I also want to increase the level of humanity.”

 

“I somehow could imagine you spread the leaflet of propaganda.” Kakashi suddenly felt his joints stiff.

 

“I honestly prefer personal approach – I’ll use my _bunshins_ to explain this to a thousand of people at the same time,” the blond laughed, but both of them knew it wasn’t a joke. Naruto always had this friendly, charming aura which Kakashi never possessed. Even by being himself, the _jinchuuriki_ could defeat any sociopath-super-villains with his ray of positivity, “It will take some time, but I won’t give up. I can’t force them to blindly accept my ideas, but I’ll struggle to make them understand. Changes need patience, and although it will take _forever_ , I will continue to show them how it is to be a human.”

 

Kakashi chuckled, “I should fully admit that your _ninjutsu_ isn’t just for show,” few faint wrinkle lines appeared on the inner edge of his eyes. Naruto’s attention was drawn to the mole below his teacher’s lips – and he somewhat wondered why Kakashi never let the bottom half of his face revealed since he owned a gorgeous one. He was snapped into reality when Kakashi’s second finger was lifted, “The second,” there was a significant pause. Naruto could see how Kakashi transformed his cold expression into a softer one; a mixture of happiness and truly moved, “Are you doing this for me?”

 

Kakashi’s delicate gaze silenced him for a while,

 

Naruto stared back at Kakashi’s uncovered face while recollecting fragment of memories they shared. This man saved his life, practically, _countless_ times. He _died_ once for the sake of the village and its innocent citizens. He served as the Sixth to fix things and rebuilt their home from the scattered rumble of war into a metropolitan area in the Land of Fire. Hatake Kakashi had been a great asset for Hidden Leaf and Naruto wished he could do _something_ to return the favor. He was known as a perfect gentleman who had everything – _the look, the wealth, the career_ – and if there was one thing to bring Kakashi’s life into a perfect state, it would be legal protection for his long-term, secret relationship.

 

“Hinata once used her _byakugan_ on you to examine your _chakra_ pathway, remember?” it was a long time ago, right after they declared the victory of Fourth World War, “She accidentally saw what you hide underneath your gloves.”

 

His shoulder slightly jolted.

 

Kakashi spontaneously reached his right hand – his _ring_ finger, to be exact.

 

“You… kept it a secret for _decades_ , Kakashi-sensei, and I wonder, it must be hard and hurtful for you not being able to freely show your relationship with Gai-sensei,” Naruto’s fingers played with used chopsticks to cover his awkwardness, “And it must be harder for Gai-sensei since he was the eccentric and expressive one, right?” he giggled faintly, “So – since I have the authority, I will struggle for it.”

 

“… it would be an abuse of your political power, Naruto.” Kakashi muttered.

 

“Well, you did that once, didn’t you? Remember when you ordered all _shinobi_ to look for the best gift for my wedding?” the blond smirked in satisfaction as he saw Kakashi’s sudden change of mimic, “You think I wouldn’t know? C’mon, who’s the naïve one here…” he mocked a little, before resuming his sincere words in a soft tone, “I want to return the favor by doing something for you and Gai-sensei.”

 

Kakashi didn’t answer just yet.

 

“It’s easy to make you proud of me, Kakashi-sensei, but…” Naruto smiled tenderly at the older man he always considered as own father, “… it’s so _hard_ to make you happy – as if you always refuse the idea to taste the happiness, no matter how much you _deserve_ it.” those blue eyes of his gazed gently.

 

Those sincere words touched him, _deep_. He slightly opened his mouth, but nothing was uttered.

 

“You – should start to think about yourself, and Gai-sensei’s sake. And I really want you to be happy, I really do,” Naruto extended his hand, reached the back of Kakashi’s and lightly patted it, “You’ve done enough for me, Kakashi-sensei. I’ve fulfilled my dream and now, I’m living the life of it. You were always there to guide me so I can continue your hard work, serving and protecting the village.”

 

 _Now, let me protect you, Kakashi-sensei_.

 

“You little brat think that you’re so cool saying that in front of my face, huh?” Kakashi brushed Naruto’s bright hair and laughed, “… but, really, Naruto – for you to do things this far for me,” his shut his eyes, _Minato-sensei, you see, your son has grown up this big_ , he crafted a truthful smile, “Thank you.”

 

Naruto’s grin grew even wider and teased, “You should thank Mirai-chan too, she told me a lot of stories from your honeymoon back then,” Kakashi tensed at the confession, his mask of aloofness was replaced by a shy, modest look, “Anyway, I don’t think there will be a single person in this village who’s surprised by this news. I mean – every citizen _knew_ you were lovers rather than rivals. You can’t trust Gai-sensei and his big mouth when he bragged about you.” he added before finishing his beverage.

 

Kakashi hummed, “Actually, that’s where you’re wrong. There’s one person.”

 

“Bushy-brows,” a nod, “He could be _that_ thick headed sometimes.”

 

“Gai loved him too much he considered it cute,” Kakashi chuckled, “Still, Naruto, this won’t be an easy move for you, you might face nasty consequences, and it could influence other village’s judgment about you and Hidden Leaf,” he forewarned while tapping Naruto’s cheek, “I hope you’re ready.”

 

“You’ve been through a _lot_ for me, why won’t I do the same,” Naruto bantered, “Besides, I might save a friend if this petition goes well. I finally can see Gaara walked down the aisle with Bushy-brows waiting on the other side of the altar,” he giggled while imagining his sand-best-friend wore a white gown.

 

Kakashi rolled his eyes – he always knew that Naruto was a sensitive person when it came to smell an affair; he was the first one who recognized Temari and Nara Shikamaru’s relationship decades ago.

 

“So they really are together,” the silver-haired snorted, “And Lee still think I’m his teacher’s rival.”

 

“He’s just too dense,” Naruto shrugged, “Anyway, thank you for the discussion, Kakashi-sensei! I have to follow up this issue before Mirai-chan and Shikamaru change their mind.” He stood up hastily.

 

“Good luck, Kiddo,” Kakashi waved his hand while covering his face, “Don’t push yourself too hard.”

 

The man in orange attire laughed, _lovingly_ , “Yes, yes, I love you too, Kakashi-sensei!”

 

Kakashi shook his head, sluggishly, as he saw the big ball of sunshine jumped outside the ramen shop.


	3. Sabaku no Gaara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbetaed

The cacophonous shrilling noise, the excited voices of chattering people, the faint smell of burnt coal – Konoha Shinshigai Station was congested and hectic as usual. Among them, standing in his agitated posture and nervous expression, Rock Lee craned his neck to find one exact passenger he had been waiting for. The train guard lifted the flag on his right hand as he blew the whistle. At that indication of an arrival, the man in green spandex quickly fixed his appearance; the tip of his silky hair, how his neck-warmer covered the top of his chest, _oh_ , he wanted to look more than just good in front of _his_ man. Lee hurriedly walked to the exclusive carriage – the front one, when the train began to slow.

 

With his large, round, black eyes, he examined the travellers one by one. People rushed following the exit sign, and he had to mutter ‘excuse me’ several times before getting his way to the wagon’s door where a familiar man queued to leave the caravan. His softened green eyes caught a glimpse of Lee and he lightly waved. His other hand was occupied by a moderate-sized luggage made of cowhide.

 

“Welcome to Konoha, Kazekage-sama.”

 

That vibrant, masculine tone made him, Sabaku no Gaara, smiled tenderly – although it wouldn’t be visible for the common people who didn’t know him just enough, “Lee…” his soft voice was swallowed by the shrieking buzz from the departing train, “It’s been a long time.” he stepped out from the cart and approached his escort in a hurry – obviously kept himself from jumping into Lee’s athletic arms.

 

“You look fine and healthy,” Lee, too, tried _not_ to grab Gaara’s delicate hand. He extended his to carry his suitcase instead, “What’s your schedule, again? And aren’t you supposed to be coming tomorrow?”

 

“I deliberately come a day earlier so your Hokage-friend will stop complaining,” Gaara hummed an inaudible ‘yes’ at Lee’s offer, “Naruto suggested me to install both water and sewage treatment plant in our village in order to optimize our limited source of freshwater. It would be an agreement of three countries – Fire, Wind and Water, you could say this is going to be a multilateral investment,” the Kage shrugged, zero intention to talk any further, “On that note, please drop the ‘Kazekage’ for now, Lee.”

 

The _jounin_ nodded enthusiastically, “Gaara-kun,” he giggled at his significant other’s reply. People of the Hidden Sand were infamous for being late. They walked slowly side by side. Lee could see how his partner relaxed in the midst of lively Konoha; Gaara always stated that the station in his hometown wasn’t more than steel and concrete, “Next time, you should tell me beforehand concerning your arrival – of course, I don’t mind, I’m happy to see you a little bit longer. Ah, are you free today, then?”

 

“I apologize, I was busy delegating my current task to Kankuro before I left,” he spoke in a worried tone, his steps were slightly slowing down, “...am I bothering your schedule? You’re in a mission?”

 

“Not really, but I _do_ have an appointment today,” Lee muttered, “I guess I’ll see you tonight?”

 

“Oh,” there was a splash of disappointment in Gaara’s inflection, “It’s… An important one?”

 

“It’s a private meeting, but indeed it is,” they were already at the outside of the station. Lee gestured Gaara to follow his direction, “So, my plan is, I take you to your quarters, you can have a rest while I’m having this gathering. I have no idea how long it will take – how many hours a wedding couple need to decide the best attire for their big day?” he folded his free hand behind his nape, visually tired.

 

Gaara tilted his head, “A married couple – _ah_ ,” his dark-circled eyes widened, “Your teacher and the Sixth, you mentioned them in your letters. I assume that Naruto’s petition went well.” he deduced.

 

“Frankly speaking? It wasn’t at first,” Lee’s face suddenly became complicated, “You know how old-fashioned those elders are. Some of them are even worse than those in your village – just say, Hyuuga clan, they are Naruto’s in-laws yet they didn’t show any support when it came to this delicate matter,” he talked in low tone, almost whispered, “But, it’s _that_ Naruto we’re talking about. Gathering people’s voice, collecting citizens’ signature, sounding his ideas and ideals, he eventually survived the court and legalized it,” by ‘it’ they both defined as the ‘same-sex marriage’ – “I believe it’s the power of youth!”

 

“He possessed the power to make the impossible possible,” Gaara commented after listening to Lee’s explanation assertively, “Anyway, where will you and the grooms meet? I think I could help, I might not look like one but, I did a _lot_ of choosing for Temari’s marriage.” _Even though it was decades ago_.

 

“Eh – I think you need to rest? You must be tired from your trip.”

 

The red-haired shook his head, “I’ve had enough along the way and I feel refreshed now. Besides,” he paused. His both green eyes glimmered as he looked at Lee, “I… still want to spend my time with you.”

 

Lee was startled,

 

“Uh – do you mind?”

 

“N-no, Gaara-kun, it’s just…” Lee brushed the tip of his nose, embarrassed, “ _Surprising_ , to hear that from you…” flushed, the _taijutsu_ expert cleared up his throat, “In that case, let’s go to the meeting point.” he nodded before accelerating his steps, jumped on the roofs with his preposterous agility.

 

Gaara willingly trailed Lee behind using his desert suspension.

 

Their journey wasn’t long nor far – they had to avoid some flying surveillance drones and closed-circuit television on their way – Gaara decreased the velocity of his sand platform when he saw Lee lessened his speed. With baggage on his left shoulder, the bowl-cut looked a bit ridiculous, but Gaara didn’t say a word, either way. The man in sleeveless jumpsuit landed in front of a traditional housing complex. Gaara touched down gracefully while commanding his sand to get in the gourd. Their destination was a fine building with classic architecture and mostly made of packed earth and wooden posts. A glance, and Lee swung the door-knocker which took shape resembled the Nine Tails. _The people of post-war_.

 

“ _Ara-ara_ , if it’s not Gai-san’s apprentice,” a soft, feminine voice welcomed them right after the front door slid open, “You come right on time, he found it difficult to choose, I think he needs your help.”

 

“That’s why I’m here,” Lee answered with a grin, loud and energetic as ever, “Also, with me here is Kazekage-sama. He’s a friend of the former Hokage and here to greet the groom before the wedding.”

 

Gaara slightly bowed at the introduction.

 

“A pleasure for us, Kazekage-sama,” the young woman did the same gesture, “Please, after me.”

 

The couple followed her – _who turned out to be the couturier, she confessed that designing for Kakashi and Gai was her first experience in male-and-male wedding_ – while analysing the display of dresses and tuxedos along the way. Statues were positioned through the length of indoor, wooden alleyway. Gaara was mesmerized by those complicated yet alluring bouquets and festive multi-storey cakes. The soft-hued, pastel colours met exquisite composition he never thought would be visually enjoyable.

 

Seeing all of this, he was overwhelmed, his eyes darkened; it reminded him that Rock Lee had been through a wedding preparation and ceremony once. Along with his previous marriage, he was blessed by a son. His late wife passed away giving birth to baby Metal and Lee stayed spouseless ever since.

 

(…to be fair, announcing his affair with the Kazekage would be a _huge_ scandal, right?)

 

“Oh! Lee! You’re here!”

 

The loud yelling of a hoarse, manly voice snapped Gaara back to reality.

 

They finally arrived at the fitting area – it was a _huge_ room with circular floor plan and filled with numerous mannequins in various fancy apparels, three smaller changing rooms, and two tall mirrors on every axis. Maito Gai was sitting on his wheelchair, near the dummy in a black wedding suit – he was surprised to have the crimson man with them and quickly trundled his way closer to, let’s say, his soon-to-be son in law, “And you to, Gaara-kun!” he gladly greeted the Kage and lifted his both thumbs at his special guest, “Wait, you’re supposed to meet the Hokage, right? Why are you here, again?”

 

“I heard that Lee’s beloved teacher is going to give up his chastity, so, congratulating you is on my top priority list,” the tip of Gaara’s lips twitched, barely formed an asymmetrical smile, “Jokes aside, I hope everything will be fine and you’re not going to be nervous when preaching the wedding vow.”

 

Gai laughed cordially, “I might cry a lot, and hard, but I won’t be nervous,” the older man bantered, “Have a seat, you must be dead tired, huh? There, sofas. Kakashi’s trying his sixth – _seventh?_ – suit.”

 

“Hey, Gai, what do you think – _oh_ ,” synchronously, Hatake Kakashi stepped out from one of three changing rooms, accompanied by the costumier, and immediately stuttered, “…oh, you’re here, Lee,” he was ashamed but his hand waved in a friendly manner, “Gaara-kun, I heard the meeting will be held tomorrow?” he asked while clumsily adjusted the collar, “Maa… this thing tries to choke me.”

 

“You, Hidden Leaf, always assume that I’ll be late,” Gaara lightly chuckled, “By coming a day earlier, I have this rare opportunity to inspect your wedding preparation. I could use this as a precedent,” either he was half-joking or dead-serious, Lee was blushing and Gai elbowed his student’s waist, “Speaking of which, Kakashi, this one looks good on you. It fits your slender figure pretty nicely, the colour gives your skin tone a better complexion – you look a decade younger,” his eyes evaluating up and down, “Acacia is better than pocket square, it will give you a romantic vibe but it won’t be too flashy, a nice finishing touch,” Gaara explicated while fixing Kakashi’s grey bowtie, “What do you think, Lee?”

 

Lee wasn’t ready – fashion had never been his forte, what did Gaara expect from a guy who wore the same green spandex every day? He gulped hard, then shook his head, “I – I don’t think my commentary would be as useful as yours, Gaara-kun, but, I agree, bone-white suits Kakashi-sensei very well,” he grinned awkwardly as his partner rolled his eyes and nonverbally said, _it’s called broken white_ , “What do you think, Gai-sensei?” Lee quickly passed the question before Gaara’s sand did a thing or two.

 

“What can I say, my rival is so handsome he would slay any clothing effortlessly,” Gai exclaimed, “But if you ask me, I’d prefer him with no string at all.” He laughed confidently, arms akimbo, legs crossed.

 

Lee choked himself meanwhile Gaara averted his gaze –

 

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, _this innocent couple,_ “Now, Gai, give me your _serious_ opinion. This is the seventh tux and I’m getting really tired,” and lazy, extremely sluggish, “You have to make a choice.”

 

“I still want to see you in a dress, Rival – okay, kidding,” Gai raised both of his hands as he sensed his lover’s boiling _chakra_ , “The third, compared to his one… I think this suit do the justice, it’s lightweight, it’s slim-fit, it’s white, it’s accentuating your waist line – _Kashi, I just love your waist, you know that_ – there you go. This one. Approved.” Again, thumbs. The silver-haired old man dashed to the nearest mirror and took a careful look at the wool-blend cloth, its soft tone and mottled finish was on point.

 

“Yes, I’d prefer broken white rather than powder blue,” note that, they just found out about those colour term like, two and half minutes ago. Kakashi glanced at his own palms, “I want custom gloves.”

 

“Let her know,” Gai responded while wheeling his way to Kakashi and corrected the sleeve button made of brass, “Do you want your mask to be custom-made, too? Or you finally will expose that beauty mark under your lips to all of the pure villagers? They might want to revise the Hokage monument.”

 

Kakashi grunted, “Wedding mask, indeed.”

 

“Don’t forget the veil!” said Gai enthusiastically.

 

“Gai, how many times do I have to say this; _no_ veil!” Kakashi glared at his spouse-to-be.

 

“Eh, why not? You never complained wearing that silly veiled hat for daily basis,” the older bowl-cut pouted, clearly stating the Hokage’s official hat, “Besided, what kind of wedding doesn’t involve veil?”

 

“That’s _not_ a veil – if you want a veil that much, why won’t _you_ wear it?”

 

“No joke, Rival! I’ll look ridiculous wearing that kind of fabric!”

 

“There you know, why are you forcing me to wear one?”

 

“Because you’re my eternal rival and you look _cute_ wearing anything!”

 

“Huh – it doesn’t even make sense!”

 

Gaara glanced at Lee, “... are they quarrelling like this, often?”

 

Lee grinned, obviously troubled, “Well, yes, lately, they argued a _lot_. Marriage preparation isn’t a light issue – no matter how much you love your partner, you’ll fight eventually,” he stared at Gaara softly, “It’s true when people said that this phase is the most crucial moment to testify a couple’s love.”

 

“I… can imagine,” Gaara remembered how stressful he was when set into a betrothal. Long story short, his engagement with the Hoki family went horribly wrong – and two people with painful past were together now, listening to other couple’s argument about what to wear on their big day. Gaara giggled sincerely, “But somehow, I believe that they’re going to make it – something about them is just right.”

 

“When you’ve been together for almost four decades, there’s no way it could be wrong,” his round eyes glistened in tears; at this point, Gaara was so getting used to Lee’s sudden explosion of emotion, “... you know, Gai-sensei patiently continued to serve the village as one of Hokage’s right hand, along with Shizune-san, and for fifteen years, he wasn’t able to have a proper time with Kakashi-sensei,” Lee brushed the edge of his eyes, “I’m so happy, he can show his love and affection to the man he secretly loves – even though I have no idea about them dating for all these years! It’s so heart-warming.”

 

Gaara nodded deeply, “It indeed is beautiful,” he smiled truthfully – the last time they spent a ‘close’ time together, it was four of them against Uchiha Madara. _What a feast_ , “It appears that a Kage is only allowed to have one marriage at one time.” Gaara shrugged at Lee who was staring at him.

 

“There must be a _right_ time for us, Gaara-kun.” he whispered softly while reaching Gaara’s hand.

 

“It’s just not now, Lee,” Gaara welcomed Lee’s fingers and held it tightly, “I know and I’ll wait.”

 

To love someone he wasn’t supposed to be together with was painful – and when he finally gave up his position as a Hoage, _ah_ , Gaara shut his eyes. He was sure that Gai was a kind man who prioritized Kakashi’s reputation rather than his own selfishness. _Kakashi, you finally found a place to come home._

“Okay, the attire is all set,” Gai’s loud voice made made Gaara spontaneously let go of Lee’s hand, “I’ll go with the black one, and my Rival will wear the broken white one.” He coiled his fist in satisfaction.

 

Kakashi sighed an extremely heavy breathe, “Finally. One down, more to go.”

 

“Wait, what?” Lee retorted, “I thought we can go catch some food already?”

 

“Lee, I said, the _attire_ , we’re not even close to the finish line just yet,” said Gai, “We haven’t chose the wedding theme and the decoration.”

 

“The food.” Kakashi added wearily.

 

“The guest list.”

 

“The ring.”

 

“The bridesmaid.”

 

Kakashi paused, “We don’t need bridesmaid.”

 

Gai laughed, “The bouquet, then, it’s essential,” Kakashi was about to complain, but he understood his rival’s way of winking, “Kakashi will throw it and one of you, child, _have_ to catch it.”

 

“That’s…” Gaara blushed, “... fine, I’ll just use my sand.”

 

“I have to add the rule for not using _ninjutsu_.” Kakashi joked.

 

Gai smirked, “That’s also cheating - no one could beat Lee in _taijutsu_.”

 

The group of four laughed in unison – they couldn’t ask for a better reunion than this.


	4. Rock Lee

“Gai-sensei, no!”

 

“What do you mean by 'no’ and who the hell do you think you are, prohibiting me from seeing my eternal rival?” The man in green jumpsuit struggled to escape from the tight grip of the younger _shinobi_ , “Let me go, Lee! Or I won't hesitate to open some gates and fight you like a true man!”

 

Rock Lee groaned peevishly, “If you run away from these facilities just to meet Kakashi-sensei, it would be a bad omen! It's the traditional custom, the belief!” he helplessly yelled while tightened his strong embrace on Gai's waist. His teacher was _dashing_ on his both hands and the wheelchair was long forgotten. Lee gritted his teeth in his epic attempt to prevent Gai from getting away, “Tsunade-sama ordered me directly to make sure you don't do stupid things before your sacred wedding ceremony! I have promised her to do so and I will keep it with my life although I have to disobey my dear teacher!”

 

“How dare you talk back to your master, Lee?” Gai roared in disbelief. He cried and grunted heavily as he tried to let go from Lee's powerful arms. No matter how much he hated the fact that his right, broken leg affected his ability to fight back, he wholeheartedly approved Lee's immense improvement in physical strength for the last decade. But to use his maximum capability to restrain him _this_ far, “I’m so proud of you, my beloved pupil, for you to be this strong you almost surpass my raw power, but…”

 

“Gai-sensei, don’t – ugh!” Lee was forced to release him and leaped backward several times. He was vigilant since he acknowledged this intimidating aura; it came from the _kinjutsu_ they both mastered, “...seriously, the sixth gate, just to wriggle out?” Lee howled before preparing his fighting stance.

 

“Drop the ‘just’, Lee! You have no idea how close we are!” he barked before doing three backflips and balanced his posture on his single, healthy leg, “Challenging Kakashi is my daily routine and my reason for living and now you prevent me to see him – it’s torture and you give me no choice but to fight!”

 

Gai’s both palms coiled and he used his thumbs to unlock some point on his body. The light-blue flame covered his entire figure and the enormous amount of scorching _chakra_ flickered around his body.

 

Lee looked up to the sky and smiled sincerely,

 

“Tsunade-sama will definitely kill me…” the younger bowl-cut suddenly regretted his agreement to watch over his teacher until his upcoming marriage, “I’m sorry, Gai-sensei, I shall put this to an end.”

 

Using the same exact method Gai taught him a long, long time ago, and credit to his endless, strenuous self-training, Lee effortlessly opened the _Keimon_ without (…hopefully) any side effects. He could feel his heart pumped the blood vigorously within his vein and he had to be extremely careful to prevent his internal organs explode at any times. He intentionally increased his power level and letting his _chakra_ danced freely in the air – in the hope it would draw attention to those who were strong enough to knock his stubborn teacher out. Maybe the current Hokage. Maybe the _former_ Hokage. All he needed to do was buying some more minutes and kept Gai busy fighting him. It must have been easy, right?

 

Lee bent his waist to give him additional force and jumped forward with his both fists clenched. Gai exhaled deeply before throwing himself into the battle. They didn’t have enough time to blink, and –

 

**_KAA – BOOM!_ **

 

Lee’s dynamic punch met the back of Gai’s both forearms which were folded into an X in front of his face. The disciple _always_ had a reasonable excuse to fight, and this was his very first time to open as far as the sixth gate just for a silly little motive, “You’re trembling, Gai-sensei!” Lee laughed confidently.

 

“Not so fast, you little brat!” Gai smirked as if nothing really happened – although his foot obviously shivered from receiving a supposedly fatal force, “You’re a decade too fast to beat the shit out of me!”

 

In a flash movement, Gai reached Lee’s ankle and pulled it into a whirlwind motion. He could hear Lee gasped but the newly-fresh _jounin_ automatically used his free leg to land a powerful kick. Gai’s reflexes were still extraordinarily fast for someone who relied only on one leg. But his student clearly held back from performing his top combat skill – and somehow it irritated the ex-right hand of the Rokudaime.

 

“Stop – underestimating me!” he thundered while slamming Lee to the ground. In response, the younger fighter curled his torso to minimize the damage, yet he just caused another chaos since Lee’s fall created a three-meters-diameter and two-meters-deep crate on the empty outdoor garden.

 

“I guess I have to show you the real me, Gai-sensei…” Lee didn’t waste any second to regain his perfect position, “I’ll show you no mercy,” with a quick pull, he removed the weights encircling his both legs.

 

Watching his favorite pupil on his way to perform his best, Gai smirked in satisfaction, “Come, Lee.”

 

“I am deeply sorry,” he shouted while preparing a set of fiery punches, “Gai-sensei!”

 

“Lee!” Gai exhaled – he jumped upward to develop the Morning Peacock.

 

“GAI-SENSEI!”

 

“ROCK LEE!”

 

“CUT IT OUT, BOTH OF YOU!”

 

**_BHAAMMMMM –_ **

 

“ITTAI!!!”

 

With a brute force which was strong enough to destroy a small hill, two clenched fists sank into those bowl cuts, created visually throbbing bumps on their heads.

 

“Using such a powerful _kinjutsu_ inside the village,”

 

_Her_ voice was more than just ‘threatening’.

 

“Really Gai, Lee, are you out of your mind?” the soprano pitched angrily. Her twin ponytails wiggled playfully, clearly refused to match its owner’s current emotion. Those emerald eyes almost popped out from its sockets and the tip of her lips twitched in an unpleasant way, “Although I highly doubt it that you both have brains in the first place, this is foolish to the extreme! The citizens might think we're under attack!” she furiously roared without thinking that her wild rage created new chaos.

 

Lee grinned in guilt and soreness – by the ‘former Hokage’, he _never_ meant ‘the fifth’.

 

The responsible _jounin_ quickly bowed in an exaggerated apology. His sudden movement made his head spin but he decided to set aside his throbbing pain and showed his sturdy side. _Never, ever, underestimate Senju Tsunade's power_ , “I deeply apologize, Tsunade-sama! But you must’ve known, if Gai-sensei opened the sixth gate, there's no way I could deal with him unless I did the same thing!”

 

“You shitty old man,” Tsunade rolled her eyes and glared at Maito Gai, who was now sitting cutely on his wheelchair – Lee raised one of his phenomenal eyebrows, questioning himself since when did his teacher grab the poor chair, “Stop acting all docile and clueless, Gai, you'll just make me puke.”

 

“I’m completely innocent,” Gai retorted.

 

“Liar, you just tried to escape!” Lee cried.

 

Gai glared at his pupil, “Why you, punk…”

 

“Haven’t I told you enough about the ritual?” Tsunade felt irritated by Gai’s stubbornness concerning (practically) everything about Hatake Kakashi. Letting this extraordinarily ridiculous couple to marry might cause the Fifth World War, “You’re not allowed to see Kakashi prior to your wedding day. Or should I give you a lesson directly to those dumb muscles of yours?” she eagerly prepared another fist.

 

“Tsu – Tsunade-sama, please do calm yourself,” Lee interjected, “Gai-sensei is just too nervous.”

 

“I – uh, I really don’t fancy the term ‘nervous’, yet it’s not a hundred percent wrong,” he sighed a heavy breathe while slowly closed his gateway. It left redness resembled massive sunburn on his entire skin and the condition made the expert healer scoffed; now she had to treat those unwanted allergic-like wounds. Gai scratched the tip of his nose, his expression was perplexed, “... I really want to see him, I miss my rival so bad it stings my chest, and I mean… what if he suddenly changed his mind and decided _not_ to marry me?” his loud and obnoxious nature suddenly turned into a worried look.

 

Tsunade rolled her eyes lazily.

 

Months had passed since Uzumaki Naruto officially signed the regulation which legislated same-sex partnership. It was a bold move from a hidden village leader and it affected other small towns as well – if it wasn’t the entire country. However, in an era of rapid development, globalization and technology, supported by petitions across the Land of Fire from people with the same condition, Naruto’s speech was powerful enough to gain the seal of approval from the _daimyo_. It was still taboo for some people, especially old-fashioned clans like the Hyuuga. But when it came to the marriage of a former Hokage and the world war veteran who cornered Uchiha Madara himself, no one was brave enough to object.

 

“Trust me, Gai, even though I don’t understand how a smartass like Kakashi could fall in love with you,” she jokingly spoke, “I could tell that he, right now, somewhere, is as nervous as you are. The difference is, he doesn’t do dumb things like rampaging around the village like a tailed beast.”

 

Gai didn’t respond immediately, _he couldn’t._

 

When he asked Kakashi to marry him, things weren’t as complicated as he thought it would be. They were ludicrously in love – they _always_ were, and he thought it was enough to establish a new bond.

 

He was awfully wrong.

 

Everything was right when they decided to live together in a new, small house near the village border they bought using their retirement budget. Gai had proposed a _long_ time ago and the different thing occurred after the legalization was Kakashi could wear his engagement ring freely. But the condition was rapidly varying when they had to set the date, talked about the total cost, assembled a team of the wedding day, chose the best attire – and, if he wanted to _list_ the _list_ , it would be a never-ending _list_. Bold of him assuming that wedding planning was stressful enough: he still had to deal with an emotional issue. _Good grief_. Nobody told him that temporary separation could affect his mental state this much.

 

“...do you think I deserve him?”

 

The sudden change in Gai’s behavior made Tsunade and Lee exchanged a strange look.

 

“I always… thought that I don’t deserve him, you know.”

 

He rested his back and looked up to the bright, afternoon sky. The spring breeze tenderly brushed his face, sent him a faint smell of cherry blossom. Gai huffed a long, exhausted sigh, then continued,

 

“He’s an evil genius, he has that good look, and he’s a kind-hearted person. Not to mention he ruled the village once,” Gai chuckled while watching the clouds dancing above him, “When I was younger, I was too naive, believing that hard work can surpass a natural-born prodigy. The truth is, if I really want to exceed him, it costs… _everything_ ,” reminiscing his final fight which demanded a leg as the payment, Gai closed his eyes, “…but when I thought I’ve lost everything, he... _stayed_ ,” Gai’s eyes were wet, “And for me, to be with him is a thing I desire most. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, to grow old together with him,” _and if someday death knock on our door, I wish it will pick us up at the same time._

 

Tsunade completely understood his dismay, but she never mastered the art of sweet-talk either, “Gai, look; love, relationship, and marriage are three different things, yet they are connected to each other,” _really_ , she thought, _the hell am I babbling about_ , “Some people could only achieve one, luckier ones gained two, and the blessed attained all three of them,” the blonde patted his both shoulders softly.

 

Gai listened to her speech silently.

 

“Kakashi chose you to be his companion – no, two of you _chose each other_ in unison,” she slightly grunted, “You’ve been through a lot of bigger conflicts and you couldn’t trust him in this matter?”

 

“No, I trusted him – _aaah_ ,” Gai’s usual composure lost all at once. He ran his fingers all the way to his silky hair, obviously frustrated, “I just can’t believe this is true! This is too good to be true!” he intensely yelled, irked, “What if I’m dreaming? Could it be the entire village try to ultimately prank me?”

 

“Gai-sensei, that’s not true!” Lee yelled, his eyes were glistening with tears.

 

“Lee…” the bowl-cut senior gasped when he found his lovely subordinate kneeled before him. Lee placed his both hands on Gai’s lap, his face was fulfilled with overwhelming emotion and empathy.

 

“You’ve done more than enough for Kakashi-sensei!” with his bandaged palms, Lee embraced his teacher’s hand tightly, “And you’re his closest person for decades! You’ve challenged him to spend the rest of his life with you and he said yes! Please have faith in him and yourself, Gai-sensei!”

 

To hear such beautiful words from his cherished student, “Lee, tell me,” Gai returned Lee’s sentiment with the same amount of passion and overpowering energy, “Do you think I can make him happy and annoy him at the same time until the death do us apart?” Their hands shivered in a breath-taking act.

 

 “Don’t even think to doubt yourself, Gai-sensei!” Lee answered with melodramatic intonation.

 

“Oh, lee!” Gai embraced the younger _shinobi_ way too tightly.

 

“Gai-sensei!” Lee bestowed the gesture with the same bone-crushing power.

 

“LEE!”

 

“GAI-SENSEI!”

 

Tsunade groaned, “...at least they stop opening those fucking gates.”


	5. Uchiha Sakura & Tenten

“And, it’s done!”

 

The chirping, feminine voice came from his former student, Haruno Sakura – _or_ , she was known as Uchiha Sakura, at least since thirteen years ago. Her short, light-colored hair slightly waved back and forth as she giggled at the sight before her. Her steady hands carefully took hold of her teacher’s both temples, non-verbally ordered him to face the mirror; made a sigh of relief escaped his masked lips.

 

“Oh, you look so _good_ , Kakashi-sensei,” she muttered in satisfaction.

 

Hatake Kakashi stared silently at his own reflection, “You have some serious skills with your hands, Sakura,” he nodded while pulling the strands of his freshly cut hair, “I look ten years younger, now.”

 

“Please, you just _don’t_ age,” Sakura protested, she rolled her emerald eyes in annoyance.

 

When she and the rest of Team Seven were finally allowed to see the hidden face underneath the soft cloth, they almost lost it. Not to mention that their _sensei_ ’s true appearance was totally mouth-watering, but she, as a health practitioner, knew that Kakashi never really gained any significant signs of aging. Perhaps, there existed an unspoken rule regarding the Kage’s facial look so they learned a forbidden _jutsu_ to stay young. Take a good look at the Kazekage, for instance, and among other things her own sage-teacher, Senju Tsunade. Sakura mentally slapped herself for letting his mind wandered.

 

The medic expert placed the scissors inside her purse before cleaning up the remains of Kakashi’s hair on his clothes, “How are you feeling, Sensei?” she started generally, her wide smile clearly teased.

 

“Don’t even start,” the man who was infamous with his title as the copy ninja grunted, “I start to think to run away from this whole situation,” Kakashi shivered – he remembered his struggle back then when he avoided being inaugurated as the village leader. It happened almost two decades ago and now he felt the same gurgling thing messing with his stomach, “It doesn’t mean that I don’t trust Gai.”

 

“You just _loved_ him too much,” Sakura laughed, “I mean, c’ mon, Kakashi-sensei, lie to yourself as much as you want, but don’t even think you can hide such an obvious thing. Your face loudly says it all.”

 

Kakashi groaned, “Suddenly, everything feels _wrong_ ,” he stuttered.

 

The cherry blossom shrugged, “Yet _right_ , at the same time,” she replied, not in her medic voice, not as an ex-student, “Trust me, when all of this madness is finally over, you’ll find yourself silly for worrying,” her pretty green eyes stared blankly, reminiscing her own struggle when she converted her family name and legally an Uchiha, “However, I deeply understand your insecurity, I experienced it once, and I bet everybody who had been through a wedding preparation will claim the same thing.”

 

Kakashi hummed in response.

 

“Naruto overdid it, don’t you think?” Sakura said calmly while tidying up her belongings – a small hand-mirror, a speedy-dry hair dryer and a big, fluffy comb, “Not only he fought for the equality, he also made sure your ceremony goes as planned,” the mother of one smiled sincerely, “Well, _yours_ would be the first one to be acknowledged by the village. You’re making history, here, Kakashi-sensei.”

 

“By ‘history’ you mean a ‘guinea pig’ – I can’t believe I agreed to this,” the silver-haired old man let out a long sigh before glancing at his one and only female student, “Still, thank you for sorting out the guest list, I really want to keep things private,” Kakashi spoke and returned her the same smile.

 

“To be fair, it appears that most of the citizens demand your official statement regarding your wedding to be announced in public, but of course you have no obligation to do so. You’re _not_ a Hokage anymore and it’s time to keep your privacy for yourself and your closest people,” she stated decisively. Kakashi swore he could sense a splash of Tsunade’s personality in her, “Just focus on the invitees, will you?”

 

The groom nodded wordlessly.

 

“Don’t listen to those who don’t support you; those who spare their precious time to see you and Gai-sensei exchanging vow are more worthy,” Sakura added, her vocal went softer – and, nonetheless, marriage was a sacred celebration. For a total introvert such as Kakashi, enjoying the feast with several relatives, fellow _shinobi_ and Kages in his length of service would be the best gift he could ever ask.

 

“I know, I just…” hearing Sakura’s endless assistance was reassuring, “...thank you, Sakura.”

 

Sakura quietly kneeled before him, “No, Sensei, thank _you_ ,” she corrected, “You are our father-figure, you lost your life, your time, at the battlefield, you served this village although we knew you never really enjoyed it, you… Nurtured us, you’ve done a lot – way too much – for us,” her both palms rested on Kakashi’s hands on his lap, “Supporting you until the end is the only thing we could do for you.”

 

“And it means the world to me,” he was nearly crying, but Kakashi held himself not to let his guard down that far. To think that his little hellions had become this mature and took their chance to return the favor, “Tell Sasuke to temporarily quit his mission or he will regret it,” Kakashi jokingly impended.

 

“Of course, we can’t miss our teacher’s wedding,” Sakura exclaimed, then giggled.

 

Kakashi waved his hand lazily.

 

“I’m leaving you, for now, Kakashi-sensei. Don’t stay up too late, tomorrow’s your big day – unless you want Ino to smack your under-eyes with heavy make-up,” seriously, Kakashi had stopped counting how many times Sakura warned him to go to bed early. The esteemed _kunoichi_ excused herself and walked past the door. Before she slammed it close, Sakura glared at him, “Also, I would notice if you sneak out _or_ Gai-sensei is here, and you know what I’m going to do,” her biceps flexed as an ultimatum.

 

“Good night, Sakura,” that was Kakashi’s answer right after she swung the door.

 

He took a moment to analyze if he was out of reach already – and after making sure he was, Kakashi concentrated his _chakra_ on his hand. The well-experienced veteran delicately controlled his willpower so he wouldn’t draw any unwanted attention. He got himself a _kunai_ and cut the end of his fingertip, swiftly performed a set of hand seal to summon his favorite _ninken_. A single pug jumped through the smoke and landed in front of his conjurer, his little head tilted curiously.

 

“Oi, Kakashi…” Pakkun slothfully greeted him, “Do you need my help?”

 

Kakashi placed a finger on his lips, then nodded without saying a word.

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, a _kunoichi_ with her trademark hair-buns was busy ironing a white shirt carefully as if her future depended on it. She repeatedly checked the heat of the metal part and made sure all the creases on the fabric were perfectly removed. Maito Gai sat in silence on his wheelchair not far from his former student; his eyes were swollen from excessive tears and his nose reddened because he brushed it way too much. He comically squeezed the handkerchief on his hand before slowly wheeling his way toward the young lady who now was brushing his black tuxedo.

 

“Oh, Tenten, thank you so much for visiting me tonight,” Gai dramatically cried his gratitude while holding the weapon expert’s free hand, “I have no idea what will I become without you right now!”

 

The fine woman in cheongsam dress grinned, “Probably destroying the whole village, I see,” she huffed while placing the garment brush on the nearest table, “Tsunade-sama told me what happened a week ago. I really can’t take my eyes off you, hm, Gai-sensei?” Tenten patted his teacher’s shaking shoulder.

 

“You don’t understand – I never left my rival’s side since the world war!” he pouted.

 

“…no, don’t do that, it doesn’t suit you at all,” Tenten sighed.

 

“Everybody in this village seems to agree with the bothersome custom,” Gai added in an uneasy tone.

 

“Bear with it a little, will you? Right after tomorrow, you’d claim Kakashi-sensei as yours only,” pulling away from her hand from Gai’s powerful grip, Tenten continued her delayed task, “Is it that hard for you?”

 

Gai inhaled deeply and released his breath in a sharp snort, “What’s harder in loving a suicidal man is thinking that today might be my last day seeing him breathing,” he rested his back, but clearly he was agitated by his own words, “Kakashi – he had a lot of technique to take a person’s life in flash. Quick, painless, we _know_ how to execute our enemies, but Kakashi _mastered_ it to the point he could take his own life using his talented, _cursed_ hand,” the _taijutsu_ specialist pressed a finger on his temple, “I have to make sure he’s walking the bright path; to stop blaming himself, not to overthink his failures on the past,” his usual gaze was replaced by a gloomy stare, “He’s always too hard on himself, that man.”

 

“Gai-sensei…”

 

“But in the end, it’s me who can’t live without him, isn’t it ironic?” Gai laughed. Shy, pure laughter, he returned his sight to Tenten and showed her his glimmering series of teeth, “The longer I stay by his side, the more I can’t imagine a life without him; _that_ , is something I can’t comprehend, either.”

 

Tenten smiled genuinely, “They say that love is beyond human’s logic, which I could only imagine,” she stretched her stiff body while looking up at the ceiling, yet her vision was far through the roof, “Kakashi-sensei is very lucky, though, to have a companion like you who constantly watches his back.”

 

“Isn’t he?” the bowl-cut senior raised one of his phenomenal eyebrows.

 

“He is,” without doubt, Tenten nodded, “Loyalty is one of the most important things in a relationship, don’t you think?” she tilted her head, gave her mentor a playful wink, “For you who had accompanied him for your whole life and still counting – you guys deserve to enjoy your retirement in peace.”

 

Gai almost burst in tears once more, but he bit his bottom lips, resulting in a complicated expression on his sturdy face, “I wish I can make him happy for the rest of our lives,” he clenched his both fists.

 

“I know, I know, you’ve exclaimed it a thousand times already,” she giggled while carefully buttoning the white shirt on the mannequin, “Now, have a good rest, Sensei. Lee and the Hokage are preparing the venue, can’t see you tonight. But I’ll make sure those rascals will visit you tomorrow morning.”

 

“You know…” Gai looked down, a heavy pause lingered for a while, “… I wish Neji is here with us.”

 

Tenten had expected it, yet she still felt the pain in her chest, “You know we’re not like _that_ ,” her voice was serene as she closed her eyes; sensing Neji’s faint presence in the room, “But – yes, he must be happy for you, too,” she turned around and held Gai’s hand, “It’s always been the _four_ of us, right?”

 

Gai returned her soft grip with the same energy, “You’re a good daughter, Tenten.”

 

“And you’re our best parent, Gai-sensei,” she bent down to hug his spirited teacher, “We love you.”

 

“Oh, I love you all more,” he was weeping by and by.

 

“Your attire is well-prepared, please wait for one of us to assist you with that,” Tenten warned him in a slightly threatening voice, knowing that Gai could be extremely exuberant, nearly stubborn when it came to other people’s help, “I’ll help Hinata with the food preparation. Do me a favor by _not_ escaping this room, will you?” she glared at the nodding Gai while considering to glue some explosive tags by the window, “Good, it’s only twelve hours left until your wedding; I beg you, don’t make a scene.”

 

“You can count on me,” Gai eagerly waved and watched Tenten disappeared behind the door.

 

He stayed still for the next five seconds – _Tenten opened the door again and peeked; she closed it after witnessing Gai still sweetly sat on his chair_ – then moved silently to unlock the window. Gai grinned at one of Kakashi’s _ninken_ who entered his chamber with a folded card on the back of his clothes.

 

“Kakashi asked me to deliver this,” Pakkun lazily informed him, “Also, he specifically requested me to wait for your reply and send it back to him,” his fatty figure wiggled to drop the letter on the floor.

 

“Thank you,” he whispered, held himself from embracing the visually little pug. No matter how cute and harmless Pakkun might look, laid an old man with lethargy and a terrible sense of dad-jokes.

 

In order to give his ally’s lover privacy, Pakkun dragged himself to the corner of the bedroom and curled near the heater. His vibe sent an unspoken ‘wake me up when you’re done’ and Gai raised a thumb right before the pug fell asleep. Cautiously, Gai unfolded the letter, familiar scent wafted and ticked his nose. The simple sentence written on the paper warmed his heart, also soothed his longing for not being able to see his beloved for several weeks. _Sleep well, I’ll see you tomorrow_. Gai smiled, he almost could hear Kakashi’s voice on his very ears, so close and intimate, wishing him the best of the dream and comfort. A bit rushed, Gai grabbed a pen and a piece of blank paper as a response.

 

He scribbled a shorter message and as fast as performing hand seals, he created a crane and laughed at his own silliness. Gai approached Pakkun and before he woke him up, the _ninken_ opened his eyes and stood up on his four legs, “Please make sure my rival himself receive this,” he humbly demanded.

 

“Corny as always, Gai,” Pakkun grunted before taking the _origami_ between his teeth, delicately not to nibble it, “Hhh… you always make things more complicated than it should be,” the small breed walked to the window and jumped lightly through the opening. He vanished in a _poof_ a millisecond after.

 

Gai snorted a laugh at the _ninken_ ’s reaction and returned his attention to the short letter on his hand. He kissed the paper and put it under the pillow, and in no time, Kakashi in a white, wedding _dress_ and a translucent _veil_ appeared in his dream – which was full of soft-hue colors. He hysterically laughed while bridal-carrying his long-term partner while shouting the same sentence he wrote that night,

 

_I couldn’t wait to be yours._


End file.
